•Tottenham have a 'buy younger players' policy' who are aggressive, strong and able to control the game in Postecoglou’s high-risk, possession-based football.
•After an injury-hit career at Manchester United, my club sources have informed me that Raphael Verane will leave after this season ends.
Players in and players out as Spurs strengthen
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Tottenham Hotspur are ready to back Ange Postecoglou with an open chequebook for signings in three important positions.
Up to seven players could be sold to balance the books and keep within the financial fair play rules.
Two wins in the last eight matches have underlined Spurs' need for a new striker to replace Harry Kane.
In addition, the coach wants a new centre-back and midfielder to strengthen the squad.
Tottenham have a 'buy younger players' policy' who are aggressive, strong and able to control the game in Postecoglou’s high-risk, possession-based football.
He has already ear-marked Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Emerson Royal, Giovani Lo Celso, Ryan Sessegnon and Bryan Gil to be sold and both Yves Bissouma and Richarlison would be available if suitable offers were made. Richarlison is admired in Saudi Arabia. Bissouma’s promising start to the season has dropped off alarmingly.
Inside the dressing room, Postecoglou admits the team has suffered from defensive frailties with counterattacks hurting them because of the high-pressing game they play and also set pieces have not been dealt with properly.
The club will decide on the future of Timo Werner at the end of the season.
They hold an option to sign the 28-year-old permanently for £ 14 million but Postecoglou wants to assess his whole team strength before deciding on whether Timo stays or not.
Varane to say goodbye to United
After an injury-hit career at Manchester United, my club sources have informed me that Raphael Verane will leave after this season ends.
One of the football’s best defensive talents, Verane has played 93 games but missed 48 which means he has cost the club approximately £500,000 per game.
His salary of £300,000 a week is United’s fourth highest after Marcus Rashford, Casemiro and Jadon Sancho.
The club plan a younger defensive backline which is the backbone of United’s summer strategy. In that vein, Verane has named 19-year-old Willy Kambwala as the ideal player to replace him and he fits in with the age profile preferred by United. Originally United planned to extend 31-year-old Verane’s contract but he would not accept a lower wage.
I am told that Anthony Martial, Jonny Evans, Tom Heaton, Mason Greenwood, Sancho and Donny van de Beek will all be made available if offers come in.
Several players have revealed their concerns that club captain Bruno Fernandes could leave during the summer.
The Portuguese is believed to be open to offers after United failed to qualify for Europe next season.
Bayern Munich and Inter Milan have shown interest in signing him. Erik Ten Hag pointed out that Bruno has a contract until 2026 but admitted that if he wants to leave the club will not stand in his way.
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Greenwood’s future in the balance
The furore which saw Mason Greenwood departing Old Trafford for a loan period at Spanish club Getafe looks to have died down and two Premier League clubs are interested in signing him.
His United contract runs until 2025 but the club can extend it by one year. He has scored 10 goals in 31 appearances in La Liga this year.
United want £40million for Greenwood but if they are not offered that amount they could once again loan him to another club. Getafe want to keep him but cannot afford the high loan price United want for next season.
Italian giants Juventus are interested and might be able to afford the fees but if that fails the INEOS company owners of United might bring him back to the club despite earlier comments that he could never again play at Old Trafford.
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Is Hojlund good enough to lead United?
There is much talk around Manchester this week that whoever is in charge of United next season, is Rasmus Hojlund the man to lead from the front.
He has been well supported by Erik Ten Hag who believes he is one of the future stars for the club. Hojlund is only 21 years of age and his performances have ranged from excellent to poor but at the moment there is no one to challenge him for his position.
Hojlund lacks what Brentford’s Ivan Toney has in abundance…he finds it difficult to outmuscle and beat centre-backs to give himself that extra yard to create a goal-scoring chance.
He has had his moments such as joint top scorer in the Champions League and his six goals in five matches just after Christmas but since then he has scored just once.
Fans are suggesting that if United do want to succeed in rebuilding that once-great team they need the equivalent of a Ruud van Nistelrooy, Dimitar Berbatov, a Robin Van Persie or Eric Cantona. Can you honestly say, they claim, that Hojlund is in that class?
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Even Stones is finding it tough to get a game at City
Several months ago, leaving John Stones out of the Manchester City line-up would not have happened.
A series of unfortunate injuries and fitness problems have forced Pep Guardiola to turn to others to cover Stones and now he is fit again he finds himself sixth in line to start a match.
He has played just 76 minutes of a possible 660 as Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji
have become City’s regulars in his place with Gvardiol also performing well at left-back. Akanji has started 18 of the last 20 games.
When Ake was injured against Fulham he was replaced by Kyle Walker who Guardiola admitted had hardly trained in the pre-match preparation and Stones was again left as a spectator.
Jack Grealish is another who has been left out after suffering an injury and Guardiola said: “Sometimes other players take a step up. Manuel is playing unbelievable football now, Nathan was unbelievable as well. That’s why you have to leave very good players out. Jack (Grealish) played a lot last season and this season not so much. In this team you have to perform consistently well, well, well many times.”
Even Brazilian number 1 goalkeeper Ederson has had to work to reclaim his place after injury.
That is the penalty when a player moves to a successful and wealthy club with the world’s best players…you might not always get to play.
Stones will be back and he also has the Euros to look forward to because he is number one for his position with coach Gareth Southgate.
Glasner is making Mateta a better player at Palace
There is no doubt about it, Oliver Glasner is a very good manager, able to bring out the best in players and improve them.
It is quite understandable that the Crystal Palace pair of Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze are getting all the praise and attention because they have performed superbly this season as the 3-1 win at Wolves proved.
However, another player who deserves to be recognised in the stand-out category is Jean-Philippe Mateta. The 26-year-old forward scored against the Wolves albeit a tap-in from Nathaniel Clyne’s shot.
But he was in the right place at the right time and that was no accident. It was Mateta’s 13th goal of the season. He has long been regarded as a team player, reliable and important but not as a great goalscorer.
Glasner has achieved this by changing his role and the way the team plays. He is the strongest player in the Palace forward line and is physical whereas the other forwards rely on playing the ball going forward. Mateta now has an even more important role by leading the team’s high-pressing game and he set up Eze in the 16th minute for his assault on goal at Wolves.
Palace try to win possession high up the field and they move the ball immediately to their forwards which has put Mateta in better goalscoring positions.
The proof, as the saying goes, is in the pudding…in the first six matches of this season, he was averaging 0.5 shots per game. Now, after Glasner has worked tirelessly with him, he averages 2.16.
Lallana calls it a day at Brighton
Adam Lallana is to leave Brighton & Hove Albion at the end of this season. He has reached the ripe old age of 36 after seven seasons with Liverpool during which he won the Premier League and Champions League.
Adam has made 105 appearances for Albion and despite the coach Roberto De Zerbi asking him to stay he said: “It was a tough decision but it just feels like the right time, not just for myself but for the club as well. However, after taking a little time to think about where the football club is and having been away from my family for the last four years, I just feel it is the right time.
"I’ve been speaking with my family throughout the year and the biggest influence on my decision was my kids. They need me around a bit more at the age they are at.”
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Phillips: Good player lacking confidence
I genuinely feel pity for Kalvin Phillips. His career was flowing in an upward direction at Leeds, he was in the England national squad and life was perfect.
Since then his transfer to Manchester City has been a dismal failure ending in loans away from the Etihad.
The latest team to take him, West Ham, suffered with poor performances from Kalvin and he was dropped for England’s matches against Brazil and Belgium.
For such a gifted player to suffer a crisis at 28 years of age is disappointing but it is likely City will sell him in the summer unless Pep Guardiola comes up with a brilliant career rescue plan for the midfielder.
Iraola signs on for another two years at Cherries
Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola has committed the next two years to the club by signing a two-year extension to his current contract.
The Spaniard took charge of the Cherries and guided them to their highest points total in the top flight. He said early this week, “I’m very happy to sign the contract.
For me, it is a matter of renewing the confidence of both sides. We have a good experience with our first season together in the Premier League and I am happy that both sides want to continue the relationship further.
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Everton determined to strengthen for next season
Everton will dramatically upgrade their squad despite Sean Dyche telling us there would be no big spend this summer.
The club is in an uncertain position because of the takeover failure undertaken by 777 Partnership. Sean Dyche says the club faces challenges next season as it tries to comply with the financial fair play rules which saw them deducted points for this season.
Dyche is determined to lay the foundations of a team able to take on the top teams in the Premier League after narrowly surviving relegation this season. Everton had a Plan A, Plan B and Plan C.
Plan A was a contingency plan if the club dropped into the Championship, Plan B focused on who leaves the club in the summer and Plan C, player terms and when they leave.
Everton have a busy summer with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Amadou Onana entering the final 12 months of their contracts and several clubs circling Jarrad Branthwaite.
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Southgate enters United coaching rumours
As the Ten Hag “Will he be sacked or won’t he?” saga continues, a new name has been circulating at Old Trafford this week. England manager Gareth Southgate has entered the frame.
Southgate’s name has even been discussed in the dressing room by a senior player.
Owner Sir James Ratcliffe is a fan of Southgate but he has refused to discuss his intentions in public weighing heavily in the argument to sack Ten Hag is United’s possible worst-ever Premier League finish and they exited the Carabao Cup and the Champions League early on.
When I tried to get a response from Southgate, he evaded the issue and opted to focus on the upcoming Euros, which he said are his priority at the moment. However, his England contract is up in December and he has already hinted that a return to club management is part of his agenda.
Ipswich Town Kieran McKenna is also on United’s radar and have spoken with his representatives to sound out if a move is possible.
McKenna was a first-team coach at both United and Tottenham and his impressive style of play have taken Ipswich from League One to the Premier League in two seasons.